Summer's Sweet End

A few shots as we wrap up the summer of 2013.  It was a full, fun and sunny one.  

Below a couple of photos of Benjamin, Josie and her good friend Elliott at Menchie's after an hot afternoon at the Hiawatha wading pool. 

And we spent several days this summer swimming in Lake Washington at Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island.  Below are Josie and Elliott testing the water.

Our relatively lame garden harvest.  

While shopping at Costco I noticed this ENORMOUS jar of Nutella.  If any of our German friends or family still lived here I might have thought about buying it.

Near the end of summer, Grandma and Papa stayed with us for a few days.  We walked down to Lincoln Park and Papa, Marty and I went swimming at Colman Pool while the kids and Grandma ate lunch. 

Benjamin, who normally prefers to hitch a ride on Marty's shoulders was all about going it on his own on our walk to and from the pool.  Even up the big hills. 

Josie and Boyan have been friends since they were 3 months old when we meet through our PEPS group. Our families became fast friends and even joked that they had their first kiss together. Check out this post from 4 years ago here  Near the bottom of that post is the photo of their first kiss. At the end of August he turned 7 and had a Despicable Me themed birthday party.  

Well maybe that kiss 4 years ago was not their last :-)

Benjamin always wants to show us how tall he his by standing on the counter and touching the ceiling.  Any and every time you mention to him that he is getting bigger he pushes a stool over, climbs us and proves it.

A few of Benjamin's masterpiece photo's....

Our awesome neighbor, Mary, got the kids these really cool new lunch boxes.  Perfect timing for back to school lunch packing.

I had a couple of coupons for free cupcakes that expired at the end of August... just what the kids wanted after a day at Pacific Science Center.  Josie was in a "no photos" mood, however.

Benjamin, on the other hand, always likes to pose. 

A few of Benjamin's Magna Tile works of art.  One down low and one up high. The projects with these tiles is endless.

Several times this summer when it was just Benjamin and I, we would grab a prized doughnut at the store and head to Alki. It was more of a bribe than anything else.  I would get a good 7 mile roller blade work out in while he rode in the stroller.  Some of the time he ate the doughnut as we went but on this particular day he wanted until afterward and ate it down on the beach.